


fall from grace

by goldenthunderstorms



Series: the ficpocalypse (challenge fics) [1]
Category: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Series - Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angel and Demon AU, Angel/Demon Relationship, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Fluff, I Did A Little Research, M/M, Monty is a demon, Percy is an angel, all the other characters are stock characters, i don't really know how to tag this, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenthunderstorms/pseuds/goldenthunderstorms
Summary: Percy is an angel. Monty is a demon. Obviously, any kind of relationship between them is a bad idea. Percy is sure of that. Monty doesn't think so.
Relationships: Henry "Monty" Montague/Percy Newton
Series: the ficpocalypse (challenge fics) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707529
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35
Collections: TGGTVAV AU Challenge Fics





	fall from grace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [em_gray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_gray/gifts), [pinstripedJackalope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinstripedJackalope/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Icarus](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217913) by [em_gray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_gray/pseuds/em_gray). 



> so!! I have joined em_gray and pinstripedJackalope's AU challenge! How that works is basically, one of us takes an element from the story before us and writes a new one with that element! I took the wings from em_gray's Icarus and bring you this angel and demon AU that is very very very verrrrry loosely inspired by good omens but isn't really related to good omens  
> I did some of my demon research on Wikipedia for the sake of details but ya know this isn't theology or anything  
> Enjoy1

_ This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. This is an awful, terrible, stupid, bad idea. _

Percy has thoughts like this almost every time he meets Monty. It never stops him. They’ve been doing this for a few centuries now and no one has caught on. He likes to think they’re rather sneaky about it. They never meet in the same place. Today, they’re meeting in some park in the southern United States at night. No one is here to see them and once Monty is here, they’ll retreat farther into the trees.

Still, Percy paces. He paces and ruffles his wings over and over. Why is he so nervous? It’s Monty. Monty hasn’t changed in millennia. This isn’t anything new.

“It’s just Monty,” Percy reminds himself quietly.

“Thinking about me, darling?”

Percy jumps. He has to stop himself from saying _ Jesus Christ _ . Maybe Monty is rubbing off on him more than he thought. Now, Monty is here, looking at Percy like dessert. Monty looks handsome as always, wearing a black turtleneck and leather jacket with red pants. Demons do commit to a color scheme. Not that Percy can say much, wearing a white button-up and jeans.

“You know I hate when you sneak up on me.”

“I know,” Monty says. He smiles, showing off those sharp, not-quite-human teeth of his. He reaches up to wind his arms around Percy’s neck.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Percy says, almost as an afterthought.

“You say that every time.” Monty pulls Percy close. “Come on, darling.”

A reasonable side of Percy tells him to pull away now. End things before it goes too far. But aren’t they already in too deep? What does it matter to Heaven if he’s met with Monty once or a thousand times? In God’s eyes, it doesn’t matter if the sin is committed once or multiple times, the sin is still the same.

Monty frowns, inches from Percy’s lips. “Why are you still worrying, angel?”

Percy shakes his head. He slips his arms around Monty’s slim waist. Nothing about Monty is soft, appropriately. He’s all angles and sharp edges: defined cheekbones, bony all over, really, those little horns on his forehead, sharp teeth. The only gentle things about him are his wings.

Monty runs his finger’s over Percy’s wings, making Percy shiver. “You worry too much. Heaven won’t find out. We’ve made it this far haven’t we?”

“The Almighty sees all,” Percy says softly. He doesn’t even sound like he believes it.

Monty barks out a laugh. “Bullshit.” When Percy makes a face at Monty swearing, Monty laughs for real. “Sorry, darling.” He takes Percy’s face in his hands and stands on his toes to kiss Percy.

Percy is useless when Monty’s lips are on his. Monty could make him do anything right now. But he’s Monty and no matter what Monty says, he’s a kind demon. He just holds Percy like Percy is something breakable and kisses him senseless.

“I missed this,” Monty says against his lips. “When’s the last time I saw you? The ‘70s?”

“Something like that,” Percy replies, catching his breath.

“What have you been doing since then, angel?” Monty’s kisses start trailing down Percy’s jawline and his neck. “Spreading the good word? Leading sinners to salvation?”

Percy makes a sound in the back of his throat that he knows Monty loves. Monty confirms that by nipping a spot on Percy’s neck. “Monty!” Percy hisses, pushing Monty back. 

Angels aren’t supposed to feel any kind of desire. Monty is making Percy feel  _ very _ human. Percy doesn’t even want to imagine what Heaven would do if they found out he had a relationship with a demon. If he  _ fornicated _ with one?

That feels like a damnable sin.

Percy doesn’t miss the flash of hurt on Monty’s face, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. Monty raises an eyebrow. “Too fast for you, darling?” he asks. “I can try to restrain myself.” He reaches for Percy again, but Percy steps back again. The masked hurt on Monty’s face turns into genuine annoyance. “Percy.” Monty never calls Percy by his name.

There’s a reason Percy has been avoiding Monty since the ‘70s. He doesn’t want to have this fight again. He doesn’t want to fight with Monty at all and he hates that.

“Monty, we really shouldn’t—”

“Where is this coming from?” Monty demands. “I don’t seem to remember any complaints when  _ you  _ kissed  _ me _ the first time.” Monty crosses his arms. His wings are ruffled.

“I just think we’re making a mistake.”

Monty laughs, incredulous. “What? This isn’t fun for you anymore?” Now he does look hurt. Percy fights the instinct to pull Monty into his arms. He never should have even let them become  _ friends _ , not whatever they are now.

“Isn’t that all this is? Fun?” Percy says. Monty’s eyes widen. “We’re putting too much at risk for a few nights of fun, Monty.”

Monty scoffs. “You know, I thought maybe you’d come to your senses. But you’re too high and mighty to get your head of your holy ass—”

“Monty!”

“—to realize that it  _ doesn’t  _ matter! I know you think that all you angels are part of some divine order and you’re all  _ so  _ important to God’s plans. But guess what? God doesn’t  _ care _ and they never will. The only thing keeping us apart is  _ you _ .”

Percy half-expects someone to show up right now and through them both into eternal prison for all the blaspheming Monty just did. When Percy is able to speak again, he says, “Why do you even care so much, then? If you want to have your fun, I’m sure there are plenty of people you could do it with.”

“Really? You think this is just  _ fun  _ for me?” Monty practically spits. “You think this is all shits and giggles? You think I’m fucking around with an angel for fun?”

“Why else would you—”

“Because I fucking  _ love you _ !”

Then there’s silence. Percy stares at Monty, who looks like he’s either about to start shouting again or start crying.

“I’m in love with you, Percy,” Monty says. “I have been for centuries. And if you’re too dense to realize that, then maybe we should just call all of this off. Wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with God.” Monty sounds so  _ bitter  _ and  _ angry _ .

Percy wants to scold Monty for saying the Lord’s name because that will certainly draw some attention. But he can’t get Monty’s words out of his head.

“What? You don’t have anything to say to that? Fine, go running back to Heaven like the little lapdog you are.” Then, because Monty is showy when he’s angry, he flaps his wings and takes off.

Percy stands there, staring at the spot where Monty was. Monty  _ loves him _ . Percy wasn’t sure that demons were capable of loving. But sometimes Percy catches Monty looking at him with so much tenderness that it scares him.

So maybe everyone is capable of love.

Before Percy can process anything else about their encounter, he’s summoned. Percy hasn’t been summoned in so long he had almost forgotten what it feels like. It’s a sudden jerk as you’re taken from wherever you are and to Heaven to stand before someone. Everything is too bright and it takes Percy a few moments to adjust and look around him. There are three other angels he’s standing before. He can’t place their names but they don’t look happy.

“Do you know why you’re here, Percival?” one asks. She looks him up and down, at his modern clothes. The angels in Heaven still wear robes.

Percy does, but he hopes he doesn’t. He can’t lie so he stays silent,

“Would’ve gotten away with it too,” says another. His eyes are delighted. “But your  _ friend’s  _ little tantrum drew our attention.”

_ Of course, it did _ . Percy decides that if he ever gets out of here, he’ll throttle Monty.

“Do you understand the consequences that you’re facing, Percival?” the third angel asks. She looks solemn, almost like she pities Percy.

“Yes,” Percy breathes.

“You engaged not only in a relationship,” the first angel says, “but in a relationship with a  _ demon _ . Not just any demon, a  _ prince  _ of Hell!”

Monty is a prince of Hell? That’s news to Percy.

“You were tempted.” The third angel takes a step forward. “Angels are without sin. If we sinned, we would not be angels.” She pins Percy with her intense gaze. “You understand what you’ve done.”

Percy nods. He sinned. He knows that. He’s been sinning for quite some time now. He was expecting a fire and brimstone meeting with the Lord. This feels like he’s getting off easy. Then, the second angel speaks again.

“Looks like we’ll have to cast you out!”

The other two angels glare at his tone.

Cast him out. They’re going to  _ cast him out _ . Percy is being damned to  _ Hell _ .

There’s the panic, the fire and brimstone.

The third angel, the sympathetic one, approaches Percy. Wordlessly, she takes him by the shoulder and pushes. Percy doesn’t remember what happens after that.

Percy is freezing. He’s so cold. Why is he so cold? And his wings hurt.  _ A lot.  _ His wings feel like they’ve been set on fire. He hears something. Whispering? He doesn’t know. Why doesn’t he know? Why do his wings hurt so bad? Why is he laying on his back?

Percy forces his eyes open. It’s dark, really dark. Then he remembers. He’s in  _ Hell.  _ He was cast out. Percy wants to cry. But in the darkness, he registers curious faces looking down at him. Other demons. They aren’t very frightening. They mostly look like regular people aside from the wings and horns. They all have horns, some with little horns like a goat’s, some with antlers like a deer, some with ram’s horns. They all have wings, too, some leathery bat’s wings and others with black feathered wings.

Percy can’t stretch his wings because he’s on his back but he can feel that they’re there. He still can’t figure out why they hurt so much, though. He sits up and all of the demons around him take a step back. Percy pulls one of his wings around to look at. They feel like they’ve been set on fire because they  _ have been _ . They’re charred, the feathers burned off and replaced by skin and ash. A shudder goes through Percy. It’s awful to look at.

The demons around him start murmuring things. Should Percy be afraid?

“Everyone back off!”

There is a shout and the demons part immediately for  _ Monty _ . Monty is marching up to the group, looking like, well, a prince. He looks less human than the others. His horns, usually small goat-like ones, have grown into tall, curving horns like a gazelle’s. He’s wearing a silver circlet. His eyes are dark like they’re entirely pupil. It’s like his wings have  _ doubled  _ in size. His fingertips and the skin around his eyes are rimmed in black. He’s still shouting at the demons and Percy sees how much sharper his teeth have gotten.

Monty makes it to Percy and holds out a hand. Percy stares. “Well?” Monty prompts. “Get up.”

Percy takes Monty’s hand and Monty pulls him up. He can’t tell if Monty recognizes him. Of course, Monty  _ does,  _ but is he going to show that in front of all these demons under his command?

“Come with me,” is all Monty says and he starts walking. Percy follows—he doesn’t have much choice. Monty is still holding his hand. Hell is so dark, he doesn’t know how Monty can see where he’s going. The landscape just seems to be endlessly flat. Percy is still freezing. It’s eerily quiet. He’s a little confused. Where is the hellfire, the torture, the screaming? Is Hell always so sedated? It seems to be, until they reach the castle.

Percy didn’t even notice the castle until they were nearly inside. (Is castle the right word?) Once they were inside, it was anything but sedated. These weren’t screams of the tortured and the damned. They were shrieks of  _ delight _ . Demons were singing. They were  _ partying _ .

A party seems to be exactly up Monty’s alley, but he doesn’t even stop. He keeps pulling Percy down multiple corridors, up multiple sets of stairs, and into the antechamber of an ornate bedroom. When they’re inside, Monty leans against the door and sighs.

“Monty?”

Monty looks to Percy and his face softens. Then, he smirks. “You can say it.”

“What?”

“I was wrong.”

“Oh,” Percy says. He hadn’t even realized that.

Monty takes Percy’s hand again and sits him on a luxurious sofa. Monty sits next to him. “Let me see your wings,” he orders. Percy complies. He feels Monty start to run his fingers through the charred feathers, grooming him. “These’ll grow back,” he assures Percy. “When they do, you’ll have proper demon wings.”

_ Proper demon wings _ . Monty was being very nonchalant about this. Percy is too, he supposes. Percy expected a lot more conflict and suffering. Percy doesn’t say anything and they sit in silence for a few minutes while Monty tends to Percy’s wings. Percy reaches up to feel the new horns on his forehead, curled like a ram’s.

When Monty is done with Percy’s wings, he kisses Percy’s shoulder. That’s when Percy realizes he isn’t exactly wearing anything. Monty is dressed like Renaissance royalty (demons loved the Renaissance) but with much more skin on display and in all black.

“Uh, do you have something I could . . .” Percy gestures to his body. He’s surprised by how weak his voice sounds.

Monty nods. “Give me one second,” he says and disappears into another room. He returns holding something like a black robe. “This’ll do for now?” he asks.

Percy nods and stands to put that on. He feels a little less cold now. They sit again on the couch. “So, you’re a . . . prince.”

Monty winces. “Yeah,” he says. “I didn’t want to bring it up at first because I knew it would freak you out more. Then it just . . . never came up.”

“Never came up,” Percy echoes, slightly disbelieving. He feels like he should be angry at Monty for keeping this from him  _ and  _ should still be angry for the fight they had. But Percy doesn’t have the energy to be angry. He doesn’t even really feel sad or scared right now just empty. In shock. He looks at Monty warily. “So who are you really?”

“I wasn’t lying to you, I  _ am  _ Monty. I’m just also Asmodeus.”

Percy sifts through his head for his knowledge on Hell’s princes. Seven princes, one for each deadly sin. Asmodeus, the demon of lust. Appropriate. It startles a small laugh out of Percy.

Monty half-smiles. “Missed hearing that sound,” he murmurs. “I don’t remember the last time we talked and it didn’t end in arguing.”

“We don’t have much to argue about now.” Percy looks down at his hands, fisted in the robe.

Monty reaches for one of Percy’s hands. Percy lets him take it. Monty kisses the back of Percy’s hand. “It’s really not so bad here, Perce. Heaven likes to spread all that propaganda but . . . no one’s going to hurt you here.”

“Really?” Percy sounds less weak when he’s being sarcastic. Sarcasm. Angels can’t be sarcastic. They’re only capable of pure emotion. Percy doesn’t know why  _ that  _ of all things hits him so hard but it does.

“Really,” Monty says earnestly. “Besides, it’s not like you’re alone here. You’ve got friends in high places, now.” He’s still giving Percy that trying smile.

“Hell isn’t mad about . . .  _ us _ ?”

Monty scoffs. “Mad? They’re ecstatic, Perce. I seduced an angel. Seduction is quite literally my job.”

Percy weighs that. That’s true. Hell has no reason to be mad about gaining a new demon.

“In fact, they’re rather interested in meeting my new consort.”

Percy blinks. “Consort?”

“That is, if you’ll have me.” He searches Percy’s eyes. “There really is nothing between us now,” Monty says, “except you.” In his voice is a challenge, almost, a test. Percy knows that if he says no to this, there won’t be any salvaging a relationship with Monty. Ever.

And really, what is holding him back now? He loves Monty, he realizes with a start, now that he can be honest with himself. Plus, he might as well make his fall from grace as severe as possible.

Percy reaches for Monty’s other hand. “I’ll have you.” He adds with a grin, “Asmodeus.”

Monty wrinkles his nose. “Do not.”

“Fine,” Percy says. He squeezes Monty’s hands. “I never got to say it but I love you too, Monty.”

A real smile. “You do?” Percy nods. Monty practically jumps forward and kisses him.

The horns, surprisingly, don’t make kissing any harder.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Star Crossed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23801467) by [em_gray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_gray/pseuds/em_gray)




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